Kimsays he's serious about realizing the vast potential that's impressedso many of his PGA Tour brethren. There's no way to know a man's heart,but the fact that he has never looked more serious lends credence tohis pledge. Kim hit the practice range Wednesday looking trim, fit andstrong."I'm working hard," Kim said. "I'm keeping a good attitude. When I do that, my game usually shows up."There were double takes at Doral on Monday. AnthonyKim played nine holes. There were double takes because Kim doesn't doMondays. At least he didn't in his first three seasons on the PGA Tour.He rarely did Tuesdays. But Kim is making a new habit of becoming amongthe earliest players to show up during the work weeks this year."I know the more time I put into this, the more success I'llhave," Kim said.Kim gave his caddie, Brodie Flanders, off on Monday andlet his swing coach, Adam Schriber, carry his bag. The fact that Schriber is here is yet anotherindication that Kim is trying to amp up his commitment. Kim says he'sasking Schriber to spend considerably more time with him at tournamentsites this year. Schriber has been out for three of Kim's four starts.

"I'm super proud of Anthony and the decisions he's making," Schriber said."He's heading in the right direction. He's saying all the right things,but he's a hard kid to push. He has his own timetable."Schriber sees Kim putting in the work it takes to consistently contend on Tour."He's been working out like a mad man," Schriber said. "I think it's just Anthony maturing and realizing the gift he has."

It is a measure of his maturity that he grasps the significance of that moment. "He's the second-biggest draw in golf," McIlroy said, pointing toMickelson's Q-rating rather than his world ranking of No. 3. "It shouldbe a lot of fun. So I'm really looking forward to that." McIlroy sees it as another chance to learn. When he was paired with Mickelson during last season's HSBC Champions in Shanghai, which Mickelson eventually won while playing in the final group with Woods, McIlroy was studying Mickelson's approach to the game... He also took note of the way Mickelson interacted with galleries, which is a key element of his popularity with fans. "You go from a green to a tee and Phil will always look at the crowdand smile and nod, you know, really interact with them," McIlroy said."Other guys will stay focused and keep their eyes on the ground andjust walk. I'm probably somewhere in between." Last week, he picked Nicklaus' brain for 90 minutes about his approach to winning. "I think one of the biggest things that I took from it was patience,"he said. "And just to learn to wait and learn to bide your time andknow that if you believe in yourself that it will happen; it willhappen one of these days, so it's just a matter of waiting and stayingpatient."

McIlroy is pursuing higher knowledge from golf's wise men, sifting and sortingand looking for ways to improve.Those are telling points in measuring a golfer's potential, and McIlroy's, at the moment, appears to be limitless.

"I don't really have an answer for it. But I'm quite enjoying it," he said. "I think all of the guys up there are proving to everybody else out in the world how many good players thereare."Said Poulter: "I don't know. I just think that there's been a lot of great talent in England for such a long time," he said. "And it's so nice to see guys actually deliver on the golf course. We've been waiting for a long time."

"When Greg Norman stops his busy schedule for five or ten minutes to phone you and says, 'Well done', that's nice," Poulter said on the eve of the WGC-CA Championship here. And when someone like Arnie sends you a letter, it is hard to express how much it means. It certainly gets the brain ticking. Whowould have thought that. From pro-shop boy to No 5 [in the world]. It'spretty nice." It was particularly interesting that Europe's Ryder Cup captain, Colin Montgomerie, should send him atext. Barring calamity, Poulter has virtually sealed his place for Celtic Manor in October and he appreciated Montgomerie's message. "It said 'Congratulations on the win. Well deserved.' It was nice of him to drop me a line."

Mickelson is The One considered to be the best golfer in the world as long asTiger Woods isn't playing. Never mind that Steve Stricker is the second-ranked player in the world behindWoods, with Mickelson ranked third. Perception tops reality.

"It's hard to say," Mickelson said during a teleconference last month when asked The One question. "Right now, it's turning out to be several players as opposed to just one or two." "We have one guy who makes us look bad all the time," said Camilo Villegas,who won the Honda Classic last week. And that guy remains absent.There are several players off to better starts to this PGA Tour season than Mickelson, who won this tournament last year. He has made four cuts in four tournaments, but nothing better than a tie foreighth place and nothing worse than a tie for 45th. Now, however, Mickelson sees an opportunity for a re-set to his schedule.

"When we come to Doral," Mickelson said, "I think that's whenthe heart of the season occurs. Everybody is getting ready ... and pretty soon comes Augusta. It'shard to say what's happening or what will happen until we start hitting thebulk of the season."

Harmon was on the driving range Wednesday at the WGC-CA Championship and sowas Mickelson's caddie, Jim Mackay, but Mickelson... is forgoing a practice round to spend more timewith his family. He accompanied Amy on a trip to Houston for treatment at the MD Anderson Cancer Center last week."The treatment is going well but it takes its toll, the reconstructive surgery takes itstoll," Harmon said. "There are things going on in Phil's life right now that are more important than golf. That's the way it should be. You've seen that in his golf game. He hasn't been as sharp as we anticipatedwith the offseason work. Until Amy's better, she's going to be his focus.""He needs to play. He feels good about what he's doing. It's just a matter of getting your mind 100percent on it, which is not easy to do."